Galatasaray could only manage a draw against Kocaelispor in the match played late on Sunday at RAMS Park Stadium in Istanbul, in a fixture for matchday 29 of the Turkish Super League: a result that significantly complicates the Lions’ quest for a fourth consecutive league title against their closest rivals, Fenerbahçe.
The side managed by Okan Buruk took the lead thanks to a goal by Leroy Sané in the 30th minute, who headed home a cross into the box from Ismail Jakobs following a move that started in midfield. In the second half, Sané was involved in another clear-cut chance when, five minutes into the second half, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box that Kocaelispor’s goalkeeper, Serhat Oztasdelen, tipped onto the crossbar with a diving save.
Galatasaray dominated possession but appeared lacking in ideas and unable to convert this dominance into clear-cut chances; their Anatolian opponents saw this and capitalised on one of the few chances they had to threaten their opponents’ goal, scoring the equaliser in the 72nd minute of play. Following a run down the right flank and a cross into the box, Croatian striker Bruno Petković finished off a loose ball practically from the penalty spot, making it 1-1.
Kocaelispor not only managed to hold on to the result – thanks also to several key saves by Oztasdelen – but even, in the closing minutes, came close to turning the score around when, in the 84th minute, English striker Dan Agyei created what was probably the clearest chance of the entire match, after receiving the ball in the opposition’s box and unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that went straight to the far post.
Following this unexpected draw against Kocaelispor, Galatasaray now lead their closest rivals, Fenerbahçe, by just two points, with the latter seemingly on a roll after a ruthless 0-4 away win in Kayseri. Despite this setback, it is worth noting the fair play on display in the Istanbul match, in which the referee only had to show a single yellow card throughout the entire game, which was shown to Kocaelispor’s Joseph Nonge in the 24th minute.
Match stats
| GALATASARAY | KOCAELISPOR | |
|---|---|---|
| Total shots | 12 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 2 |
| Possession | 68% | 32% |
| Fouls | 14 | 13 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 0 | 4 |
| Corners | 4 | 1 |
Results of the 29th round of the Super League
Turkish league: standings
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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